Lock for closures



June 14, 1949. K. MILLER LOCK FOR CLOSURES 2' sheets-sheet. 1

Filed May 23, 1946 f IITIILIII/ June 14, 1949. K, MlLLER l 2,473,065

LOCK FQR CLOSURES y Filed May 23, 19,46 2 Sheets-Sheet g Patented June 14, 1949 UNITED STATES 'E'.ET

OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to locks and in particular, to door and other closure locks.

One object of this invention is to provide a closure lock which is operable by a rotary cam mechanism to actuate a plurality of bolts moving in dierent directions.

Another object is to provide a closure lock, as set forth in the preceding object, wherein means is provided for accurately guiding the bolts during their motion by guides which are capable of sustaining heavy duty operation over a long pe riod of time with a minimum of wear.

Another object is to provide a closure lock as set forth in the preceding objects, wherein the cam mechanism includes a rotary cam having a plurality of spirally arranged cam portions therein for engagement with cam followers connected to the bolts so as to reciprocate the bolts in response to the rotation of the cam disc.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the ings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of `the central portion of a closure lock operating unit, according to a preferred form of the invention, partly in section along the line I-I in Figure 2 so as to omit an operating handle and showing the bolts retracted;

Figure 2 is a central horizontal section along the line 2 2 in Figure 1; l

Figure 3 is a view similar ing the bolts extended;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of a door showing the installation of the lock shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section along the line 5-5 in Figure 4 with the external operating handle omitted;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the lock applied to a double swinging door;

Figure 'l is a horizontal section along the line I-'i in Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, of the lock shown in Figures 4 to 7 inclusive, illustrating how the external operating handle of Figure 2 may be omitted.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figures l and 2 show a preferred form of the closure lock operating unit of the invention, generally designated I9 as consisting of a circular base or casing member II having a peripheral flange l2 and accompanying drauh to Figure 1, but show- I Y" radial ribs I3 with radial guide grooves I4 extending therethrough and terminating in curved inner ends I5. Between the ribs I3, the base II is provided with a recess I6 for lightening the construction and saving material. The central portion I'I of the base II is provided with a bore I8 for rotatably receiving the hub I9 of a circular cam 20 in the form of a disc. The hub I9 contains a central bore 2l of square cross-section for receiving an operating shaft 22 likewise of square cross-section. The operating shaft 22 is provided with a, threaded bore 23 for receiving the end of a screw 24, the screw serving to retain in position an inner operating handle 25 having a hub 26 with a square socket 2l for receiving the end of the square shaft 22. The end of the hub 29 engages the outwardly projecting portion of the hub I9, which passes through an aperture 23 in a cover plate 29. The cover plate 29 is of the same diameter as the base I I and is provided with a peripheral flange 3!! having its inner surface 3| engageable with the outer surface 32 of the base flange I 2. Fasteners 33 removably secure the cover plate 29 to the base II.

In the event that it is desired to provide an external handle for operating the lock, the door 34 to which the lock unit Il] is secured, as by the fasteners 35 passing through the base holes 36, is provided with a bore 31 of considerably larger diameter than the shaft 22 in order to receive the inner portion 38 of an outer handle unit, generally designated 39. The outer handle unit 39 may be a simple handle or it may, as shown in Figure 2, include locking mechanism (not shown) operated by a key through a keyhole 49 extending inwardly from the end 4I of the handle 42.

The handle unit 39 is of a conventional type, the details of which form no part of the present invention. The hub 43 of the handle unit 39 is rotatably mounted in a base member 44 having an outwardly projecting flange 45 secured as by the fasteners 46 to the door or other closure 34.

Reciprocably mounted in the radial guide groove I 4 are lock plungers 41 having transverse bores 4B near their inner ends for receiving the reduced diameter shanks of hardened pivot pins 49. Rotatably mounted upon the pivot pins 49 are hardened rollers 50, the Iperipheries of which are seated in and engage the side walls of spiral cam grooves 5I. The spiral grooves 5I extend outwardly in an arcuate path from points near the center to points near the periphery of the cam 20.

At their outer ends, the cam grooves are provided with rectilinear portions 52 forming irreversible locking recesses with their side walls perpendicular to a radius passing therethrough. Consequently, when the rollers seat themselves in the recesses 52 (Figure 3), the fact that these recesses have their side Walls perpendicular to the axis of reciprocation of the plungers 41 prevents the lock from being forcibly unlocked by attempting to pry the plungers 41 inwardly by means of a screw driver, jimmy or the like. The outer ends of the plungers 41 are provided with enlarged portions 53 having longitudinal threaded bores 54 therein (Figure 2) for receiving the threaded ends of operating rods 55, here shown as tubular members. The outer ends of the operating rods 55 pass through guide brackets 5S secured to the inner side of the door or other closure 34 (Figure 4). The closure 34 may be a vertically swinging door on horizontally-disposed hinges 51 connected to the cross member 58 of the door posts 59 (Figure 4) or it may consist of a pair of horizontally-swinging doors 60 and 6I mounted on vertically aligned hinges 62 and 63 respectively secured to the door posts 64 (Figure 6).

In the case of the vertically swinging door 34 (Figures 4 and 5), the door posts 59, the upper cross member 58 and the door sill 65 are provided with sockets 66 for receiving the outer ends of the operating rods 55 which pass through aligned holes in keepers 61 secured thereto.

In the double-swinging door arrangement shown in Figures 6 and 7, the two horizontal locking plungers 41 have been omitted and a bar-like plunger bolt 41a substituted for one of these. The plunger bolt 41a is similar to the plunger 41 except that the enlarged end 53 and threaded bore 54 (Figure 2) have been omitted. Instead, the end of the plunger bolt 41a passes directly through or into a recess 68 in a keeper B9 secured to one of, the doors `6l! and 6l. The construction of the upper and lower plungers 41, their operating rods .55, guide brackets 56 and keepers 61 are otherwise the same as shown in Figures 4 and 5. In Figures 4 to 7, the outer handle unit and bore 31 through the door 34 or 60 have been omitted, so that the door can be locked and unlocked solely by operating the inner handle 25.

The construction shown in Figure 8 is similar to that shown in Figure 2, except that the square shaft 22a is shorter than the square shaft 22. The outer end of the square shaft 22a is provided with a threaded bore 10 into which is threaded a screw 1I with a washer 12 located between the screw 1I and the hub i9 of the cam 20. The arrangement shown in Figure 8 is especially suitable for garages or other buildings having an additional door by which it may be entered, whereas the arrangement shown in Figure 2 is preferable where the main door is the only one through which access may be had to the interior.

In the operation of the invention, in the unlocked position of the door (Figure 1), the lock plungers 41 and operating rods 55 are retracted by reason of the fact that the rollers 50 on the pivot pins 49 are in engagement with the inner ends of the spiral cam grooves 5I. To lock the door, the operator grasps the handle 25 and turns it in a counterclockwise direction, thereby rotating the square shaft 22 and with it the cam 20. As the cam 20 rotates, it swings the spiral cam grooves 5I, causing the rollers 50, pivot pins 49, plungers 41 and operating rods 55 to move outward, the plungers reciprocating in the radial actual practice, however,

guide grooves I4. Consequently, the outer ends of the operating rods 55 enter the keepers 61 and pass into the sockets 66. In the oase of the double doors 60 and 6| of Figures 6 and '7, the plunger bolt 41a likewise enters the keeper 69. To unlock the door, the operator reverses the foregoing procedure.

With the arrangement shown in Figure 2, the operator may lock the door from the outside merely by using his key in the keyhole 40 to operatively connect the handle unit 39 with the squared shaft 22. He then operates the device in the previously described manner. When the bolts or operating rods have been extended into their keepers, he turns the key in the keyhole 40, thereby disconnecting the handle unit 38 from the square shaft 22, leaving it to rotate freely without operating the lock.

It will be evident that the arrangement of Figures 6 and '7 may also be employed to lock a single door in the identical manner shown for double doors. In this instance, the door 6| is omitted and the keeper 69 is secured directly to the right-hand door post t4. It will also be evident that in place of using either three or four of the lock lplungers 41 and operating rods 55, only two such plungers and rods may be used, if desired, the remaining plungers and rods being merely omitted by the user.

It will also be evident that the hinges 51 in Figure 4 and B2 in Figures 5 and 6 are merely diagrammatic and simplied representations of means for pivoting the door or doors to swing about horizontal or vertical axes respectively. In more complicated hingeing or pivoting devices would be used, these being conventional and well known in the hardware industry and their details form no part of the present invention. The parts Iof the lock of the present invention are simple yet strong and durable. Their construction enables them to be produced by mass production methods, especially by die-casting to reduce the 4amount of machining necessary. The lock is adaptable to different types of doors or other closures, without any substantial alterations in its construction, and may be operated either from one side or both sides of the door or closure, as desired by the purchaser. Because of the,` great adaptability of this lock. one form of it may be manufactured and sold for installation on various types of doors, accordingly', the inventories of 'both the manufac- Eurer and seller are maintained at a minimum by reason of this adaptability to diierent uses.

While I have shown and described my invention in detail, it is to be understood that the same is to be limited only by the appended claims, for many changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

A closure lock comprising la casing member attachable to the closure, a cover member secured to said casing member and having a circular cavity therein, said casing member having a plurality of radial ribs with guide grooves therein, a plurality of locking plungers reciprocably mounted in said guide grooves, a circular cam of substantially the same size as said cavity rotatably mounted in said cavity with its opposite faces abuttingly engaging the top surfaces of said radial ribs and the bottom surface of said cover member cavity respectively, the bottom surface of said cover member cavity engaging the ycam .over substantially the entire area of one face thereof, and the other face of the cam engaging substantialy the entire area of the outer faces of the locking plungers whereby the locking plungers will be retained in the guide grooves in the radial ribs, said cam having a plurality of outwardly extending arcuate cam portions thereon, cam followers engaging said cam portions and connected to said plungers, and a handle connected to said cam for rotating said cam.

KARL MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the le of this patent:

Number lo Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Fairchild et al Mar. 11, 1879 Teeter Apr. 7, 1903 Casserly Feb. 6, 1906 Wilkinson Aug. 3, 1909 Hoffmann July 12, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain May 27, 1919 Great Britain Dec. 17, 1925 

